A "Just Curious" question about incubation

[JLC]

I'm just wondering how often anyone allows their BP's to incubate the eggs naturally? Does anyone do this? Besides the desire to "give the female a break" are there specific reasons why removing the eggs and placing them in an artificial incubator is the better choice?

[jglass38]

Better control of temps/humidity in an incubator = better chance of success. Of course you mentioned the 2 more months of no feed for the mother with maternal incubation. Not sure if there are more but those 2 alone would make artifical incubation the right choice.

[Adam_Wysocki]

Here's my $.02 for what it's worth ...

I use an incubator ... always have and always will.

With the husbandry of any animal when making decisions about their care, you have to ask yourself what the pros and cons are of any choice you make for that animal.

Assuming that any person can have equal success manually incubating a clutch of eggs or maternally incubating a clutch of eggs as far as hatch rate goes ... what are the benefits of taking the eggs vs. letting mom do it.

For manual incubation (taking the eggs), I can think of several benefits ...

1. Health of the female ... getting a female warm and eating again after a long season of breeding is paramount to their overall physical health. Even though many people have very healthy females after maternal incubation, if all other things are equal then why would you want to wait? Wouldn't you want the female to start eating again sooner rather than later?

2. Stress ... All captive ball pythons are under stress to some degree. It is also well known that stress in ball pythons has a direct influence over an animals health. Females that are sitting on a clutch of eggs are definitely under a higher state of stress than a female that has had her eggs taken. As a care giver, my goal is to reduce the animals stress as much as possible and I personally feel that taking a females eggs helps her to become "less stressed".

3. Cleanliness ... I am a NUT about cleaning cages. Every single cage in my shop gets washed every single week ... no exceptions. I could not imagine a cage that has gone through 60+ days of ball python urine. I would go nuts not being able to take the female and the eggs out to clean!!

As far as benefits for maternal incubation??? I can't think of a single one.

Of course this whole deal is assuming that any person would have equal success hatching a clutch of eggs with maternal or manual incubation. I guess if you were a cheap ba$tage and didn't want to fork out a couple of dollars for an incubator and some vermiculite ... or you were a total idiot that couldn't put a clutch of eggs in a box for 60 days without screwing things up then maternal incubation might be right for you .... but for me, the benefits to my precious females are far to great with manual incubation to ever change my mind.

-adam

[JLC]

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer so thoughtfully and thoroughly!

[Aric]

I know there was a artical in a recent issue of Reptiles about breeding. I belive it was written by Bob Clark. You should check it out, it has alot about Maternal and Manual incubation.

[Adam_Wysocki]

I know there was a artical in a recent issue of Reptiles about breeding. I belive it was written by Bob Clark. You should check it out, it has alot about Maternal and Manual incubation.

http://www.animalnetwork.com/Reptile...obtn=&cid=3702

It's a decent article ... no real bias one way or the other, but if you've ever been too or seen pictures of Bobs facility, you know that he has big ole incubators.

My favorite part of the article is this little gem right her from the master of boids himself ...

"I like the thermostats manufactured by Helix." - Bob Clark

I have to agree there!

-adam

[jglass38]

http://www.animalnetwork.com/Reptile...obtn=&cid=3702

It's a decent article ... no real bias one way or the other, but if you've ever been too or seen pictures of Bobs facility, you know that he has big ole incubators.

My favorite part of the article is this little gem right her from the master of boids himself ...

"I like the thermostats manufactured by Helix." - Bob Clark

I have to agree there!

-adam

You are going to be the TV spokesman for them someday! Are they sending you any free ones yet!? hehe

[JLC]

I read that article just a little while ago....it's very interesting. I'm not sure I will ever get tired of reading stuff from the folks who have been doing this for decades! (And a few folks who've been doing it for just a few years. )

[Adam_Wysocki]

You are going to be the TV spokesman for them someday! Are they sending you any free ones yet!? hehe

I WISH!! ... LOL ... With as many as I order each year as I grow the biz you'd think they kick me a freebie!! ... LOL ... Doesn't matter, either way I'm a loyal Helix fan til the day I die!

BTW - I would kick A$$ on TV!

-adam

[jglass38]

You stick with that TV dream my friend. I have a face for radio! (or internet message boards!) hah

Hey, does a Helix come with Freedom Breeders? How does their heat work? I want to start ordering by the level and I am not sure what to get. Would I get the first level with casters and heat to start out?